10 in-demand careers for the future

Healthcare is one of the fastest growing sectors in Australia, with a predicted future growth of 14.2%.

The COVID-19 pandemic shone a light on the importance of workers in these fields, with doctors, nurses, psychologists, and other health professionals in high demand.

While some traditional jobs throughout Australia are at risk due to automation, the empathy, skills and knowledge that registered nurses and professional healthcare workers bring to patients cannot be replaced.

Along with this, life expectancy in Australia is growing. The older generation (those aged 65 and over) is expected to more than double by 2057. This will increase the demand for skilled physical therapists, which is already growing due to our sedentary lifestyles.     

VU offers a range of courses, which cover many disciplines within the healthcare sector, such as:

• midwifery
• psychology
• paramedicine
• osteopathy
• physiotherapy
• nutrition
• speech pathology
• social work.

Employment in the healthcare sector is not only rewarding – it offers one of the best careers for the future. Read more about the 6 most in-demand jobs in mental health.

Did you know that education is Australia’s third biggest export? There’s a high demand for teachers across all age ranges, from early childhood to tertiary education.

Increasingly, teaching is a job that can be done from just about anywhere, as the rise in online learning during COVID-19 demonstrated.

A qualification in education can lead to a career in:

• early childhood
• primary school teaching
• high school teaching
• university, as lecturers and tutors.

As technology rapidly evolves, the amount of electronic data collected every second increases.

Consequently, there is great demand for skilled professionals who can make sense of this colossal amount of data to solve real-world problems and create actionable insights for business.

Begin a career perfectly aligned with industry demand, as a:

• data scientist
• market research analyst
• business analyst
• business intelligence (BI) specialist
• machine learning engineer
• machine learning scientist
• virtual environment manager
• collective intelligence officer.

Get qualified at VU with a Bachelor of Data Science or Master of Business Analytics. Students graduate with in-depth knowledge of numerous marketable technologies.

Our expanding online presence has led to changes in the way we traditionally do things – including how we shop.

E-commerce sales and revenue have been growing year-on-year for over a decade. As emerging markets gain access to the internet, they are expected to grow further.

This diverse industry is on the search for skilled graduates who are looking to excel in the constantly changing global business workforce.

Students undertaking a Bachelor of Business at VU can pick from 11 relevant areas to specialise in, including Supply Chain and Logistics Management. This major allows graduates to pursue a career as a:

• supply chain assistant
• warehouse team lead
• online specialist
• e-commerce coordinator specialists.

Innovative thinkers may consider honing their skills with an Undergraduate Certificate in Entrepreneurial Mindset.

Get a kick out of crafting the perfect sentence? Got a good head for tech?

You could excel as a digital marketer.

Digitalisation has forced many companies, businesses and individuals online, where they now compete both nationally and internationally for attention.

This increases the demand for digital and content marketing specialists, who can use their unique skillset to connect brands with consumers.

Employers are looking for professionals who can produce high quality online content, drive traffic and create a good customer journey.

At VU, you can undertake a graduate diploma, graduate certificate or Master of Digital Media or Marketing, where you’ll develop skills in:

• user experience (UX) design
• search engine optimisation
• content production & strategy
• visualisations of data
• social network and web analytics.

Graduates commence work as:

• content managers
• content strategists
• SEO and SEM specialists
• UX (user experience) designers
• cross-media practitioners.

A ‘job for life’ is something Australian workers just don’t seem to want anymore. But even if you did want to stay in the same role, it would be an unlikely possibility – the digital age has transformed the job market forever.

These days, an average Australian worker will change employers three times every ten years. This means you could experience five different careers in a lifetime!

Changing roles could be triggered in numerous ways, for numerous reasons – a need for change or desire to retrain. There is also a risk that, as technology advances, your job could become obsolete.

So how do you prepare for a job market that is constantly in a state of flux?

The best solution is to build upon your transferable skills.

These abilities aren’t purely technical, or specific to a particular type of job or career. Rather, they are skills that your future employers are looking for and are in high demand, such as:

• communication skills: listening, public speaking, confidence to perform in the real world
• collaboration skills: networking, teamwork, compromise, diplomacy
• agility and flexibility to adapt to changing landscapes
• analytical skills: problem solving and critical thinking
• leadership abilities: motivating and directing
• information-management skills: knowledge of relevant computer software and research.

While employers increasingly want people who possess these skills, they are finding that job-seeking graduates do not have them. Consider broadening your skillset by studying a microcredential course at VU.

VU’s award-winning Block Model is designed to enhance students’ skills on a scale never seen before in Australia; the learning model fully develops transferable skills in its graduates.

Through hands-on, problem-based, work-integrated learning, as well as smaller class sizes and greater opportunities for collaboration, students receive opportunities to hone their transferable skills and get the edge employers are looking for.

Through this, you’ll gain the confidence and the in-demand skills to begin the career – or careers – of a lifetime.

Need help deciding what to study at VU?

Contact us for personalised advice on all your study options:

• call us on +61 3 9919 6100
• come in to VUHQ to chat to us in person.